BSCR Firm News/Blogs Feed

Kara Stubbs Recognized Among Top Product Liability Lawyers in WWL: Life Sciences 2024

18 Apr 2024

Baker Sterchi Member Kara Stubbs has once again been recognized as a leading lawyer in the Product Liability section of the 2024 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Life Sciences. This publication provides a comprehensive analysis of the leading lawyers around the world handling complex patent litigation, product liability cases, and regulatory and transactional matters within the life sciences sector.

Stubbs has extensive product liability experience, particularly in defending pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. She serves as co-chair of Baker Sterchi’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Practice Group and frequently authors papers and speaks at conferences around the country on issues of interest to these industries. She is a past chair of the Board of Directors for ALFA International (ALFA), a legal network comprised of 150 domestic and international law firms, and a past chair and current steering committee member of ALFA’s Product Liability Practice Group. She has also been active and held a variety of leadership roles on pharmaceutical and medical devices committees within the American Bar Association, DRI and the International Association of Defense Counsel.

Published by Law Business Research Limited, inclusion in Who’s Who Legal publications follows a rigorous selection process involving feedback from general counsel and private practice attorneys worldwide. Attorneys are chosen based on independent international research criteria and the highest number of recommendations from peers and clients.

Paul Venker and Teresa Young Recognized on MLM POWER List of Appellate Attorneys

20 Feb 2024

For the fourth year in a row, Baker Sterchi attorneys Paul Venker and Teresa Young have earned recognition on Missouri Lawyers Media’s POWER List of Appellate Attorneys.

The POWER List features the most powerful appellate attorneys in Missouri as identified by the Missouri Lawyers Media editorial team after reviewing published appellate opinions, interviewing attorneys and other leaders around the state, and examining Missouri Lawyers Weekly archives.

Venker’s practice has always focused on trials and appeals. He has taken dozens of trials to verdict in a variety of cases ranging from employment discrimination and medical malpractice to product liability and other serious personal injury and general liability matters. He has been an active appellate lawyer since clerking at the Missouri Supreme Court.

Young has extensive experience in the areas of insurance defense, insurance coverage, and appeals. Her appellate experience has been utilized by trial counsel at every level of litigation, from drafting dispositive motions and presenting interlocutory appeals, to drafting appeals and arguing their case before appellate courts. Young is a co-chair of the firm's Appellate Practice Group.

Beasley and Kane Recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers

25 Jan 2024

Illinois Super Lawyers 2024 has named Member Laura Beasley to its Super Lawyers list and Member Meghan Kane to its Rising Stars list. Beasley and Kane are both recognized in personal injury defense, and located in the firm's Belleville office.

Beasley is an experienced trial lawyer with a practice focused on civil defense litigation. She is the past president of the Illinois Defense Counsel and is also a current board member of both the East St. Louis and St. Clair County Bar Associations. She received her law degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and is admitted to practice in Illinois and Missouri.

Kane focuses her practice on product liability and toxic tort matters. She is a co-chair of Baker Sterchi’s Toxic Tort Practice Group and Vice Chair of the Illinois Defense Counsel’s Tort Law Committee. She received her law degree from the Saint Louis University School of Law and is admitted to practice in Illinois and Missouri.

The Super Lawyers publication recognizes lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Super Lawyers recognizes no more than five percent of attorneys in each state.

Rising Stars are top up-and-coming attorneys in a state who are 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing for ten years or less, with only two and a half percent of attorneys recognized in each state.

Paul Venker Named to Missouri Lawyers Media Top 100 POWER List 2023

14 Dec 2023

Baker Sterchi attorney Paul Venker has earned recognition on Missouri Lawyers Media’s Top 100 POWER List for 2023.

Venker is one of 10 attorneys selected in the Appellate Law category. He has been an active appellate lawyer since clerking at the Missouri Supreme Court, and his practice has always focused on trials and appeals.

Each month, Missouri Lawyers Media acknowledges the state’s most powerful attorneys across various practice areas, ranging from appellate and business defense to employment and intellectual property law. At the end of the year, the publication’s editorial team reviews the profiles of those recognized in the preceding 12 months to compile the Top 100 attorneys in Missouri and bordering metro areas.

Venker previously earned the Influential Advocates Appellate Award from Missouri Lawyers Media in 2017. Additionally, he has consistently appeared on the Missouri Lawyers Media POWER List of Appellate Attorneys over the last three years.

John Watt Named to Missouri Lawyers Media Inaugural Construction POWER List

13 Dec 2023

Baker Sterchi Member John Watt has earned recognition on Missouri Lawyers Media’s inaugural Construction POWER List.

The list features the 30 most powerful construction law attorneys in Missouri as identified by Missouri Lawyers Media’s editorial team after speaking with attorneys, reviewing records of verdicts and settlements, and consulting Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s archives.

Based in Kansas City, Watt defends businesses in multi-million-dollar litigation cases involving product liability, construction and toxic torts. With extensive experience as a lead attorney in trials at both state and federal levels, Watt has also conducted hundreds of expert witness depositions, presented arguments before appellate courts in Missouri and Kansas, and represented clients in arbitration and mediation proceedings.

As a steering committee member of ALFA International’s Construction Practice Group, Watt served as a co-chair for both the 2022 and 2023 ALFA Construction Practice Group Seminars. Additionally, he is a regular contributor to the Missouri and Kansas sections of ALFA’s Construction Law Compendium. Watt is recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his Construction Law practice in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.

Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Recognizes Thirty-Three Baker Sterchi Attorneys

14 Nov 2023

Thirty-three Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice attorneys are recognized in the 2023 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers and Rising Stars publication. The Super Lawyers publication recognizes lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Super Lawyers recognizes no more than five percent of attorneys in each state. Rising Stars are top up-and-coming attorneys in a state who are 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing for ten years or less, with only two and a half percent of attorneys recognized in each state.

The recognized attorneys include:

Kansas City, MO

Kevin D. Brooks – Insurance Coverage
John W. Cowden – Aviation and Aerospace
William (Clay) Crawford – Insurance Coverage
Scott D. Hofer – Civil Litigation: Defense
James R. Jarrow – Civil Litigation: Defense
James S. Kreamer – Construction Litigation
Jacqueline M. Longfellow – Employment Litigation: Defense
James P. Maloney – Insurance Coverage
Michael C. McMullen – Products Liability: Defense
Hal D. Meltzer – Civil Litigation: Defense
Thomas E. Rice – Civil Litigation: Defense
Kyle N. Roehler – Personal Injury General: Defense
James T. Seigfreid – Products Liability: Defense
Thomas N. Sterchi – Products Liability: Defense
Kara T. Stubbs – Products Liability: Defense
Megan R. Stumph-Turner – Real Estate
Philip V. Sumner – Personal Injury General: Defense
Paul L. Wickens – Civil Litigation: Defense
Jonathan E. Benevides – Civil Litigation: Defense (Rising Stars)
Torey Darin – Insurance Coverage (Rising Stars)
Kehl Friesen – Civil Litigation: Defense (Rising Stars)
Megan Sterchi Lammert – Personal Injury General: Defense (Rising Stars)
Lauren McCluskey – Civil Litigation: Defense (Rising Stars)
Elizabeth (Betsy) Miller – Products Liability: Defense (Rising Stars)
Gregorio V. Silva – Personal Injury General: Defense (Rising Stars)

St. Louis, MO

Joshua Davis – Transportation
John F. Mahon – Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense
Terrence J. O’Toole – Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense
Joseph R. Swift – Transportation
Paul N. Venker – Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense
Richard I. Woolf – Civil Litigation: Defense
Rebecca Guntli – Insurance Coverage (Rising Stars)
Laura Thompson – Insurance Coverage (Rising Stars)

Baker Sterchi Recognized in 2024 Edition of Best Law Firms®

02 Nov 2023

Baker Sterchi is pleased to announce it has been recognized with one national ranking and 19 rankings in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms®.

These accolades span various litigation defense practice areas, including:

National Tier 3

Commercial Litigation

Metropolitan Tier 1

Kansas City, MO

Commercial Litigation
Insurance Law
Litigation - Real Estate
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

St. Louis, MO

Appellate Practice
Commercial Litigation
Insurance Law
Litigation – Insurance
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Metropolitan Tier 2

Kansas City, MO

Aviation Law
Litigation – Construction
Litigation - Insurance

St. Louis, MO

Litigation - Labor & Employment
Mediation
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants

Metropolitan Tier 3

Kansas City, MO

Bet-the-Company Litigation

To be eligible for a Best Law Firms award, a law firm must have at least one lawyer acknowledged in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America® within a Best Law Firms practice area and specific geographic jurisdiction. The annual rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and professional feedback, peer review from leading attorneys in their respective fields and interviews with industry leaders. The publication recognizes law firms by geographic region and practice area(s), and inclusion reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients within the same communities and the same practice areas.

Paul Venker Recognized with 2023 Spurgeon Smithson Award by The Missouri Bar

08 Sep 2023

Baker Sterchi attorney Paul Venker has been recognized by The Missouri Bar as a 2023 Spurgeon Smithson Award honoree, joining the Hon. Patricia Breckenridge and the Hon. George Draper III. This award acknowledges the outstanding contributions made by members of The Missouri Bar to the legal profession.

Venker is active in the St. Louis legal community, currently serving as President of the Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation which was responsible for organizing the construction of the Freedom Suits Memorial. After years of work to bring the memorial to fruition, an unveiling ceremony took place on the eastern plaza of the Civil Courts Building in June 2022. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors and has previously served as President of the St. Louis Bar Foundation.

Throughout his career, Venker’s practice has been focused on trials and appeals. He has successfully taken dozens of trials to verdict in a variety of cases ranging from employment discrimination and medical malpractice to product liability and other serious personal injury and general liability matters. He has been an active appellate lawyer since clerking at the Missouri Supreme Court.

The Spurgeon Smithson Award honorees will be formally recognized during a luncheon held at The Missouri Bar Annual Meeting on September 13.

John Cowden Recognized by Who's Who Legal: Product Liability Defence 2023

24 Aug 2023

Baker Sterchi attorney John Cowden has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the 2023 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Product Liability Defence.

WWL: Product Liability Defence names private practice lawyers with a proven record of representing and advising manufacturers and sellers against claims for damages or injuries suffered because of defects in goods. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices and automotive claims are all featured heavily among the practices of the recognized lawyers.

Cowden has counseled and defended local, regional, national and international clients in individual and class action lawsuits. Having defended claims in numerous jury trials in various states, he is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Published by London-based Law Business Research Limited, attorneys are selected for inclusion in WWL publications only after a multi-step research process that includes obtaining feedback from general counsel and private practice attorneys worldwide. Only those attorneys who have met independent international research criteria and receive the highest number of recommendations from peers and clients, are listed.

Thirty-Four Baker Sterchi Attorneys Earn Best Lawyers® (2024) Recognition, Including Lawyer of the Year

17 Aug 2023

Baker Sterchi attorney John Cowden has earned “Lawyer of the Year – Kansas City, MO – Aviation Law” recognition in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

An additional 26 Baker Sterchi attorneys have earned spots on the Best Lawyers in America® list across a range of practice areas, and seven more have been included on the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ list. This recognition stems from an annual comprehensive peer-review evaluation process conducted by Best Lawyers® which spotlights attorneys based on their practice area(s) and geographic region.

Inclusion in this prestigious publication signifies the high esteem in which an attorney is held by their peers, attesting to their professional accomplishments. The prestigious “Lawyer of the Year” distinction is reserved for lawyers with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region, with only one lawyer recognized in each practice area and location. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch goes to early-career attorneys for outstanding professional excellence.

The following is a complete list of the recognized Baker Sterchi attorneys by location and practice area:

Lawyer of the Year – Kansas City, MO

John W. Cowden

Aviation Law

Best Lawyers in America – Belleville, IL

Laura K. Beasley

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Gregory Odom

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Best Lawyers in America - Kansas City, MO

John W. Cowden

Aviation Law
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Wm. Clayton Crawford

Insurance Law
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Scott D. Hofer

Insurance Law
Litigation – Insurance
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

James R. Jarrow

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

James Scott Kreamer

Litigation - Construction

Michael C. McMullen

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Thomas E. Rice

Litigation – Insurance
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

James T. Seigfreid, Jr.

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

Thomas Sterchi

Commercial Litigation
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Kara Trouslot Stubbs

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Megan R. Stumph-Turner

Commercial Litigation
Litigation - Real Estate

John A. Watt

Construction Law

Paul L. Wickens

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Best Lawyers in America - St. Louis, MO

Michael P. David

Mediation

Michael B. Hunter

Commercial Litigation
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Lisa A. Larkin

Appellate Practice

Nathan D. Leming

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

John F. Mahon, Jr.

Insurance Law
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Jennifer L. Maloney

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

John McLeod

Litigation – Insurance
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Terrence J. O'Toole, Jr.

Insurance Law
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Joseph R. Swift

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Paul N. Venker

Commercial Litigation
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Richard I. Woolf

Insurance Law
Litigation – Insurance

Teresa M. Young

Appellate Practice
Insurance Law
Litigation – Insurance

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch - Belleville, IL

Meghan C. Kane

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch - Kansas City, MO

Kehl D. Friesen

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Douglas P. Hill

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Megan Sterchi Lammert

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation - Defendants

Nicholas Ruble

Litigation - Labor and Employment

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch - St. Louis, MO

Zachary T. Faires

Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Transportation Law

Rebecca A. Guntli

Commercial Litigation
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants